EMMETSBURG - The Fort Dodge and St. Edmond wrestling teams will both take to the same mats this afternoon.
Both the Dodgers and Gaels are part of the 10-team field that makes up the Emmetsburg Invitational.
Action begins at noon, with championship finals slated to start around 4 p.m. Rounding out the field will be Emmetsburg, Estherville-LC, Okoboji, Storm Lake, Central Lyon/George-Little Rock, LeMars and OA/BC-IG.
St. Edmond replaces Humboldt, which claimed the invite title a year ago - 25 points ahead of Fort Dodge. The Gaels typically go to the CMB duals, but opted for the E-Hawk tourney this season under first-year head coach Tanner Utley.
"This is going to be a good tournament," Utley said. "It features a lot of teams we normally do not see.
"I expect it to be a good atmosphere."
Fact Box
EMMETSBURG INVITATIONAL
Teams in attendance
Fort Dodge, St. Edmond, No. 2 (Class 1A) Emmetsburg, Estherville-LC, Okoboji, Storm Lake, Central Lyon/George-Little Rock, LeMars, OA/BC-IG.
Ranked individuals
106 pounds
No. 10 Erik Birnbaum, Fort Dodge (3A).
113 pounds
No. 6 Kaden McClintock, St. Edmond (1A).
152 pounds
No. 5 Teddie Harvey, St. Edmond (1A).
170 pounds
No. 5 Duke Egli, Fort Dodge (3A); No. 4 Cash Wilcke, OA/BC-IG (2A); No. 3 Nick Schany, Emmetsburg (1A).
182 pounds
No. 1 Andrew Wellick, Emmetsburg (1A).
195 pounds
No. 10 Riley Prescott, Fort Dodge (3A); No. 3 Austin McCartan, Emmetsburg (1A).
220 pounds
No. 5 Vinnie Harvey, St. Edmond (1A); No. 8 Tayler Wegner, Emmetsburg (1A).
FORT DODGE
106 - Erik Birnbaum, soph. (4-2); 113 - Cole Detmering, jr. (4-2); 120 - Kole Evans, jr. (3-4); 126 - Cameron Hicks, jr. (1-6); 132 - Cory Alexander, jr. (2-5); 138 - Jonah Egli, fr. (6-1); 145 - Matt Osborne, sr. (4-3); 152 - Kole Kampen, fr. (6-1); 160 - Willie Moretz, fr. (1-6); 170 - Duke Egli, sr. (6-0); 182 - Sam Cook, fr. (5-1); 195 - Riley Prescott, jr. (6-1); 220 - Kyle Johnson, sr. (6-1); 285 - Austin Porter, soph. (0-2).
ST. EDMOND
106 - Ryan Szalat, soph. (5-1); 113 - Kaden McClintock, jr. (6-0); 120 - Colten Lastine, sr. (2-6); 126 - Nick Johnson, fr. (5-1); 132 - Eddie Harvey, sr. (1-7); 138 - Matt Stumpf, sr. (3-3); 145 - Parker Huebsch, jr. (3-5); 152 - Teddie Harvey, sr. (5-0); 160 - Kyle Lawler, jr. (1-2); 170 - Jimmy Averill, jr. (2-6); 182 - Dillon Nelson, sr. (4-2); 195 - Jacob Salisbury, sr. (2-3); 220 - Vinnie Harvey, sr. (6-0); 285 - Caelan Burbank, jr. (1-5).
St. Edmond claimed the Doug Wood Cougar Invitational title last weekend, and went 1-1 in North Central Conference dual action this past Thursday.
Ryan Szalat, Kaden McClintock, freshman Nick Johnson, Teddie Harvey and Vinnie Harvey all secured invite titles in Manson.
Fort Dodge is coming off a third place showing at the Eagle Grove Invitational, but found themselves on the receiving end of a pair of dual losses Thursday night. Erik Birnbaum and Duke Egli each claimed individual titles at Eagle Grove.
"We're going to have to wrestle with more intensity than we showed Thursday," FDSH head coach Bobby Thompson said. "We showed no sense of urgency (in dual losses to Waukee and Johnston)."
Thompson pointed to Emmetsburg and St. Edmond as the favorites in the team race, adding, "bonus points will be what decide the outcome."
A trio of wrestlers are ranked at 170 pounds, including No. 5 (3A) Duke Egli of Fort Dodge, fourth-ranked (2A) Cash Wilcke of OA/BC-IG and No. 3 (1A) Nick Schany from Emmetsburg.